South Carolina lawmakers voted Tuesday not to return to the State Capitol to redraw congressional maps, killing a redistricting effort that some Republicans had pushed under pressure from President Trump. Five Republican defectors ensured the vote, ending months of debate about whether to carve up the district of James E. Clyburn, the state's sole Democratic congressman, ahead of the midterm elections.

Gov. Henry McMaster, a term-limited Republican, left the decision to the legislature. But Shane Massey, the Senate leader, and other GOP senators voted against reconvening, wary that new districts could hand Democrats competitive opportunities. House lawmakers, facing re-election this year and vulnerable to Trump-backed primary challengers, had passed a measure last week allowing for a possible special session later this spring.

Drew McKissick, the state Republican Party chairman, insisted the fight isn't over, citing the Supreme Court's recent ruling on the Voting Rights Act as an opening. Missouri's Supreme Court upheld a GOP-drawn map aimed at winning an extra House seat, while Indiana saw anti-redistricting Republicans lose primaries. South Carolina's reluctance contrasts sharply with that momentum.